Vikings: Valhalla

2022 - 2 - 25

Leif Erikson

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Polygon"

Vikings: Valhalla review: Netflix drops a violent, same-y sequel series (Polygon)

Netflix's Vikings spinoff Vikings: Valhalla has its work cut out for itself with shows like The Last Kingdom and House of the Dragon also hitting TV.

But it feels mostly like more of the same, without having much of an identity to itself. Where Vikings felt like little else on TV at the time — the obvious comparison to Game of Thrones leaves out a level of broodiness that felt more akin to Hannibal — Valhalla feels entirely like TV of the moment. In just a few weeks, Netflix will launch the fifth and final season of The Last Kingdom (another Netflix rescue). Outlander is still going, as is Kingdom and Britannia, and that’s all before House of the Dragon or Witcher comes back. Vikings had more of a detached artfulness guiding the tone and style, allowing it to feel a little strange; Valhalla is more propulsive, but loses some of the weirdness of the original. Perhaps the best example in their differences comes from the opening credits: Set to the otherworldly “If I Had a Heart” by Fever Ray, Vikings’ was all moody ephemeralism, portending doom and conquest all at once. When Leif and his company of Greenlanders arrive in Kattegat, they feel like a throwback to an earlier era of Viking culture, more interested in doing their business and returning to a quiet life. Eventually they make their way to England, where the internal politics of the English start interweaving and complicating the situation. While Vikings: Valhalla has gotten a lot of ink for being about the end of an era, the show’s first season investigates the waning days of a culture on a much quieter level. Valhalla being a Vikings show, things start off with a bit of bloodshed: the St. Brice’s Day massacre, when the British killed the Viking communities on their shores. And so Valhalla’s guiding ethos as it moves forward is about how to deal with a mammoth cultural shift that is taking its time. Vikings creator Michael Hirst stepped aside as showrunner for this one, but he’s still on board as one of the executive producers. But there’s certainly a lot to choose from: The Viking infighting spurred on by religious differences?

Who Plays King Canute In Vikings: Valhalla? (Looper)

Searching for a new Viking leader couldn't have been easy. Here's who we should expect to hear passionate speeches and battle cries from on 'Vikings: ...

In "Vikings: Valhalla," King Canute the Great is portrayed by a Welsh actor named Bradley Freegard. This role will mark Freegard's first appearance in a Netflix TV series, but it's far from his first time on a film or television set. Not only does a Viking leader need to look the part, of course, he (or she) also has to sound the part! For example, much of the promotional material for the first season has focused on Sam Corlett's portrayal of fabled Norse explorer Leif Erikson. Starring alongside Corlett is Swedish actress Frida Gustavsson as Erikson's sister, Freydis Eriksdotter. Of course, Corlett and Gustavsson are hardly the only performers stepping into the shoes of long-dead figures of history.

'Vikings: Valhalla' Stars and Showrunner Break Down That Bloody ... (Decider)

Netflix's 'Vikings: Valhalla' stars Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, David Oakes and showrunner Jeb Stuart tease Season 2, explain Season 1 finale.

He is slow and he is patient and he is a wonderful developing narrative that he is waiting to see how the world unfolds.” I think that energy was kind of held in him for a long time and though he tried to deny it for a while, it only took the loss of someone he deeply loved that he feels responsible for to erupt,” Corlett said. He was a Norse Viking who was expelled to Iceland. He killed somebody in Iceland, he was expelled and he had to find Greenland,” Jeb Stuart told Decider of the season’s final moment. Oakes went on to tease that while we’ve gotten a taste of Godwin’s fighting skills in that scene with Prince Edmund (Louis Davidson), we could see more. “I think having him reach that point, there’s a part of Leif that I always wanted to play with, which is, he and Freydis are the children of Erik the Red. And we know that Erik the Red had a very dark underbelly to him as well. The show has already established that Olaf and King Canute are on the outs, and with Harald betraying Olaf for Freydis and Kattegut, there’s bad blood between brothers brewing. So should we assume that Thorgunna will show up in a future season of Vikings: Valhalla? Jeb Stuart teased, “We might.” Decider also asked Stuart if he has plans to take Leif and Freydis to Vinland, aka North America, per the sagas. Earl Godwin (David Oakes) managed to set up Ælfgifu for failure, manufacturing a ruse so Emma could send Canute’s navy to Kattegut in time to route Olaf. Even though Jarl Haakon and many of the pagans of Kattegut are killed in Olaf’s invasion, the boorish Viking has to flee the city when Canute’s ships arrive. And what does Leif going berserk in the final moments mean for the future of the series? There are twists, double crosses, and one showdown for the soul of the Vikings. So what exactly happens in the Vikings: Valhalla finale? Created by Jeb Stuart, Vikings: Valhalla Season 1 follows King Canute’s (Bradley Freegard) invasion of England, Freydis’s emergence as the “last” daughter of Uppsala, and the dissolution of half-brothers Olaf (Jóhannes Jóhanesson) and Harald’s relationship.

The Jarl Kare Scene In Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla That Went Too Far (Looper)

The most intense "Vikings: Valhalla" scene involving Jarl Kare happened in his formative years and is one of the most chilling moments on the series.

During his infiltration of Uppsala, we learn that this isn't his first trip to the location and that his previous one holds a childhood horror that set him on this path. Like every other player in this game of kings and queens, Jarl Kåre's place is one with multiple layers to it, which explains the reasons behind his rampage against his old faith. With that said, one undeniably nasty dude between the seas of Norway, Denmark, and England is a long-bearded brute, Jarl Kåre, played by Asjørn Krogh Nissen. A former Pagan who has found a very skewed perspective on Christianity, this bloodthirsty acolyte plans to totally eradicate the old ways in place of the new.

Go Behind the Scenes of Vikings: Valhalla with Frida Gustavsson (TownandCountrymag.com)

The Vikings: Valhalla actress Frida Gustavsson shares her favorite photos from the set of the historical drama and adventure series, streaming now on ...

Freydis has a spiritual connection to this falcon, so I got to work with it for a good couple of days. I just wanted to take a picture because this is what work looked like for us on a daily basis—it's so unbelievably beautiful." "This is a falcon. We have baby deer and miniature goats and boars and pigs and horses—everything. This is Bambi, who was the most well-behaved, sweet thing ever and just made everyone smile. “We have the cutest animals on the planet on our show. “I don’t know if it’s because Freydis is a woman, but she’s not as present in history as Leif Erikson—and when she is, she’s portrayed as bloodthirsty,” Gustavsson says.

How Vikings: Valhalla Forged Its Epic Battles | Den of Geek (Den of Geek)

Stunt Coordinator Richard Ryan and Armourer John McKenna reveal how they bring the brutal fights of Vikings: Valhalla to life.

And then as you’re going through, you are checking them off and you’re doing it, and you’re moving to the next one. You’ll cross off three, and you’ll go back to your list, and you’ll have 15 because the next episode is coming at you.” “I’ll research as much as I can and talk to friends that I have in the HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) world, and people who are much more cognizant of history than I.” However, Vikings: Valhalla is not a documentary, so Ryan prioritizes keeping the action fresh. Viking ruthlessness is legendary, so Vikings: Valhalla is full of slit throats and axe chops to the face. McKenna is thrilled to keep making weapons as long as Vikings: Valhalla runs. “We’re trying to keep the weapons as historically correct as we can,” claims McKenna. “The swords are based on finds. “You need to do something slightly different, so you’re not repeating the same musical number, as it were, over and over and over.” Ryan’s focus is on creating “a truthful fight,” one that captivates the audience while moving the story forward. We’re always trying to get the actors ready to perform the fight from top to tail.” Action is so essential to Vikings: Valhalla that Ryan’s name appears before the cast’s in the end credits. “He was there with a sword in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and off we went. And so as we go through it, we’re trying to get people ready to perform the fight in its entirety. And in fact, I was far better at that than I was at acting.” This background in theater gives Ryan’s choreography a distinct edge.

'Vikings: Valhalla' Season 1: Ending, Explained - Will Leif Erikson ... (Digital Mafia Talkies)

Netflix's epic drama series, "Vikings," strikes the screen again with a sequel, "Vikings: Valhalla," which, like its predecessor, weaves an enthralling.

Freydis and Harald Sigurdsson managed to escape after the fall of Kattegat. In “Vikings: Valhalla” Season 2, Harald will strike back at his brother Olaf to take the throne of Norway, which was promised to him by King Canute in Season 1. Also, the further seasons of “Vikings: Valhalla” will follow the fall of King Canute and the rise of a new house, Goldwin, that will rule England after the Vikings. After the fall of London, Liv wished to return to Greenland but stayed back in Kattegat because Leif wanted to stay among men who considered him a hero of the English Battle. Throughout “Vikings: Valhalla” Season 1, Leif held himself responsible for the deaths of his crewmen who came to Kattegat to pursue Freydis’ personal vengeance. Canute was the epitome of a perfect strategist and a better king, which is why he was denoted with the title, “Cnut the Great.” Canute looked for the “good” in people, and he gave them a chance to become a better version of themselves. He was banished from Norway and Iceland for murder, after which he sailed to Greenland (where he is believed to have discovered it) and made the country his peaceful abode. Ælfgifu took the bait, and while Canute was locked in a war in Denmark, Jarl Olaf joined forces with an extremist madman, Jarl Kåre, to destroy Kattegat under the banner of Christ. We first met Kåre when Estrid sent Freydis Eriksdotter to pilgrim Uppsala, Sweden, and find her destiny through “The Seer.” In self-defense, Freydis killed Kåre’s berserker, and Kåre decided to exact revenge on Freydis. However, he later found Freydis holding the holy sword and discovered that she was “the last.” The Seer twice prophesied a great battle that would end it all. While Ælfgifu visited Mercia with Earl Godwin, Forkbeard found the fleet and sailed to Kattegat to aid Estrid Haakon, but it was too late. Leif and other Greenlanders find out that Gunnar is a close associate of Jarl Olaf, and killing him will mean starting a war with King Canute as Canute needs Olaf’s help to invade England because Olaf was once Aethelred’s advisor and knows the secret channels to invade his territory. The captain of the ship, Leif Erikson, and his half-sister, Freydis Eriksdotter, have arrived on the island to hunt down a man named Gunnar Magnusson, who is the right-hand of Olaf Haraldsson, King of Norway. During Freydis’ childhood, Gunnar raped her and carved a cross on her back with a knife while her family was away. Kattegat and the holy Uppsala were the last few centers where the followers of the old gods took refuge, and the Queen of Kattegat, Estrid Haakon, promised to protect them at all costs. In the 11th century, 100 years after the death of Ragnar Lodbrok, his murder faded into legends while the Vikings started living a peaceful life with their English counterparts until their Saxon neighbors and the English king, Aethelred II, repeated history and massacred Viking men, women, and children on St. Brice’s Day in 1002.